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BOOKS BY JOHANNA SPYRI 


HEIDI: Complete Edition 
MONI, THE GOAT BOY 
THE ROSE CHILD 

WHAT SAMI SINGS WITH THE BIRDS 


ILLUSTRATED IN COLOR 


THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 

NEW YORK 


V 




"NEVER IN HIS LIFE HAD HE SEEN ANYTHING SO SPLENDID!" 




I 




Copyright, 1918, 

By THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 



OCT M 191^ 

©CI.A50;!814 


\ 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Before the Journey 7 

n. On the Gemmi Pass 15 

m. New AcauAiNTANCEs 25 

IV. A Terrible Night 39 

V. The Next Morning 51 

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PAGE 

Never in his life had he seen anything so splendid 

Frontispiece 20 

‘‘Come, let us go there quickly” 35 

Martin bent over the child, and laid his broad, 

strong hand on her 61 ^ 


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CHAPTER FIRST 


BEFORE THE JOURNEY 

I N Dresden, not far from the Terrace on the 
Elbe, stands a large stone house. One 
sunny July morning Herr Feland was sit- 
ting there in his easy chair, and holding such a 
large newspaper in front of him that nothing at 
all could be seen of his face. 

Opposite him sat his wife in a white morning 
cap. From time to time she poured a little water 
from the singing kettle on the fragrant coffee in 
the coffee-pot. Breakfast was about to be 
served. 

Then the door opened and two little girls 
entered, followed by a young lady, who regarded 
with some anxiety the lively way in which little 
Rita ran bounding through the room in order 
finally to spring with one big leap on her papa’s 
knee. By her skill in jumping it was plain to 
see that it was not the first time she had accom- 
9 


10 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


plished this. Rita now looked triumphantly 
around as if to say; ‘‘Now I am once more seated 
in my strong castle where no harm can reach 
me!’’ 

Then she put her little curly head under the 
big newspaper and said roguishly: 

“Oh, Papa, now I have found you! When 
are we going to the Gemmi?” 

Papa laid aside his paper, kissed his little girl 
and said: 

“First, good-morning, little Grasshopper; we 
will see about planning for the trip later.” 

On account of her nimble jumping her Papa 
called her little Grasshopper. When Rita found 
the big paper was no longer between her and 
her Papa she threw her arms around his neck 
and said, “Good-morning,” with great affection. 
Meanwhile, her sister Ella was standing per- 
fectly still beside her Papa’s chair, waiting for 
his morning greeting. Then he kissed his older 
little daughter also, and she sat down quietly at 
the table. 


BEFORE THE JOURNEY 


11 


“Now please go too and sit where you belong 1” 
said Papa to Rita, who had made no move to 
leave her high seat. 

“I am going right away. Papa,” said Rita 
assuringly, but first she straightened herself up 
in her castle, and said: 

“I was only waiting for you to say when we 
are going to the Gemmi.” 

“As soon as Mother has packed,” replied her 
Papa. 

Then Rita jumped down and ran to her 
Mother. 

“Oh, Mamma, let us pack to-day 1 Please, 
please, right away,” begged Rita coaxingly. “I 
will help you, and Ella can help you too, and 
Fraulein Hohlweg, and so we can go away to- 
morrow and then ” 

“Now we will drink our milk and sit very 
quietly a while at the table, dear child,” replied 
her Mother with firm decision, and Rita, who 
saw that there could be no further answer to her 
question, sat down in her place between her father 
and mother, and breakfast began. 


12 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Every morning for a long time had begun in 
Herr Feland’s house with pressing question 
about the trip to the Gemmi, hardly any other 
thought entered little Rita’s mind. 

The plan for this journey had been impressed 
upon little Rita’s imagination in the following 
way, and had fastened itself firmly there. 

The Summer before her father and mother had 
made a trip to Switzerland. On the Gemmi 
Pass, leading from Wallis across to the canton 
of Berne, they had been so especially delighted 
that they decided to go there again the follow- 
ing Summer, to take the children and Miss 
Hohlweg with them and remain there for some 
time. On their journey the parents had made 
the acquaintance of the guide Kaspar, and had 
told him of their intention and desire to hire a 
house in the vicinity and settle his family there 
instead of living in a hotel. Then Kaspar had 
proposed to let them occupy his own cottage, 
which stood not far from the Gemmi Pass on a 
green slope near the foot-path. He could per- 


BEFORE THE JOURNEY 


13 


fectly well give up his little house at just this 
time because he himself was always away travel- 
ing with strangers, his two boys were taking 
care of the big flocks in the mountain pasture, 
and his wife could live in the attic room and 
serve the Feland family. For them the big liv- 
ing-room and the two sleeping rooms would be 
put in order. 

This proposal was very acceptable to Herr 
Feland and his wife, and, after looking over the 
little house, they decided to engage it for the 
Summer months of the coming year. 

This news and the description of the beautiful 
flelds and lofty snow-clad mountains, the green 
pastures and the numbers of grazing cows, had 
made a deep impression on the two children, and 
for a long time Rita had been hardly able to wait 
for the day to start on the journey. Even in 
Winter not a day had begun and hardly had one 
ended without Rita's asking: 

“Mamma, will Summer come soon now?” 

Now the Summer was really there, and Rita’s 


14 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


question became more determined and urgent. 
Every morning in expectant tones sounded the 
words : 

“When are we going to the Gemmi?” 

Every day the child’s impatience grew and 
these impetuous questions and pleadings in- 
creased, until Rita could hardly wait any longer 
to climb into the train and travel to the high 
mountains and green fields. 

Finally the day came when the whole Feland 
house looked like a big annual fair. Every pos- 
sible kind of clothing lay around in such piles 
in all the chambers that there was no more place 
to sit down. But, little by little, everything dis- 
appeared into three huge trunks, and two days 
later the whole Feland family were seated in the 
train: Ella in silent delight between her mamma 
and Fraulein Hohlweg; Rita next her papa, 
whom she embraced every moment in sheer de- 
light, for now they were really going on the great 
journey; now they were going to the Gepuni! 


ON THE GEMMI PASS 


CHAPTER SECOND 


ON THE GEMMI PASS 

N ot far from the summit of the Gemmi 
pass a narrow path enters the woods 
and soon leads to the place where the 
traveler cannot look without a shudder over the 
steep walls of rock down into the deep precipice. 

One beautiful Summer evening a young boy 
was coming along this wood-path. In his hand 
he held a large red flower which he had found 
deep within the woods and looked at it wonder- 
ingly from time to time. 

Then he came out of the woods into an open 
place and gazed around, but appeared to find 
nothing in particular to look at further, and con- 
tinued his way. Then he stepped into a narrow 
field-path, leading to the left up a green slope. 
There stood two cottages not far apart, each with 
a small out-building behind it, evidently to shel- 
ter the animals. One of these sheds was larger 

n 


18 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


than the other, and the cottage also with its brand 
new door looked more roomy and better kept. 
This belonged to the guide Kaspar, who lived 
in it together with his wife and two boys and 
every year was able to improve something about 
it, because he earned a good deal of money as 
guide to travelers. In his shed stood not only 
two goats, like all the neighbors, but for the last 
two years a fine cow also, which furnished him 
with wonderful milk and butter. 

The smaller cottage beyond with its old worm- 
eaten door and tumble-down shingle roof be- 
longed to the porter, Martin, the big man, who, 
on account of his powerful build, was called 
‘‘strong Martin.” He lived there with his wife 
and four little children, and behind in his small 
shed stood his two goats, whose milk had to feed 
the whole family. 

All through the Summer, especially in fine 
weather, strong Martin really had a good in- 
come ; then he carried travelers’ luggage over the 
Gemmi, but he didn’t earn nearly so much as his 


ON THE GEMMI PASS 


19 


neighbor Kaspar, who was often away many 
days at a time with the mountain climbers 

In front of the new house door Kaspar’s two 
boys were now standing and were evidently dis- 
cussing something very important. They were 
examining, handling and comparing, with great 
eagerness, two objects, which they held in their 
hands, and when at last they seemed to come to 
an agreement they began all over again. The 
little fellow, who had just come out of the woods 
to the cottage, now stood still and looked full of 
astonishment at what was going on in front of 
the house-door. 

“Seppli, come, look! look!” called one of the 
two boys to him. 

Seppli drew near ; his eyes gazed in motionless 
amazement at what was shown him. 

“See what Father brought us from the fair 
in Berne,” called the larger of the boys again to 
Seppli, and each one of them held up his present. 
What a wonderful sight was offered to Seppli’s 
eyes ! Chappi and Georgie each held in his hand 


20 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


a large whip, in this country called a Geissel or 
lash. The strong and yet pliable handle was 
wound round with little bands of red leather. 
The long white lash was of solid braided leather 
thongs; on the end hung a firmly twisted round 
cord of yellow silk with a little tassel at the end. 
This end, which could make a wonderful crack, 
was called the whip-lash. Seppli looked speech- 
less at the whips. Never in his life had he seen 
anything so splendid! 

“Now, just listen,” said Chappi, beginning to 
swing his whip, and Georgie did the same, and 
then it cracked and thundered up and down the 
valley and resounded from all the mountains, 
so that it appeared to Seppli as if there was noth- 
ing grander and more wonderful in the whole 
world. 

“If I only had a whip with a yellow lash tool” 
said he, taking a deep breath, when the two had 
finally stopped cracking theirs. 

“Yes, you will have to wait for it,” replied 
Chappi haughtily, and with one last tremendous 


ON THE GEMMI PASS 


21 


crack he ran away; he had to show his whip to 
other people. Georgie ran behind him; but Sep- 
pli gazed after the two boys and remained mo- 
tionless. A heavy weight had fallen on his un- 
troubled heart. He had seen something which 
he yearned and longed for more than he had 
ever done before in all his life, and Chappi had 
said discouragingly ; “Yes, you will have to 
wait!” It seemed to Seppli exactly as if every- 
thing which could make him happy was lost for 
his whole life. He seized the red flower firmly 
and threw it away, for to have only a red flower 
and never, never to own a whip with a yellow 
lash turned Seppli against the flower; it 
flew far away into the field and Seppli looked 
after it in silent rage. No one knows how long 
he would have remained standing there if the 
door had not opened behind him and a woman 
stepped out with a big broom in her hand. 

“Where are the boys, Seppli?” she asked 
curtly. 

“Gone off with the whips,” was the answer, for 
they were still before his eyes. 


22 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“Run and call them home, and be quick,” 
commanded the woman. “To-morrow early they 
will have to go to the mountain, and this evening 
the gentleman is coming, and there is still much 
to be done. Run and tell them, Sepplil” 

The youngster then ran with all his might in 
the direction where the two boys had disap- 
peared. The woman began to work her broom 
into every corner and to sweep. She was Kas- 
par’s wife and the mother of the two boys, 
Chappi and Georgie. 

That morning a letter had come from Herr 
Feland announcing that he and his family would 
arrive the following evening, — Whence the great 
preparation with the broom, which was not un- 
necessary, for Chappi and Georgie brought a 
great deal of dirt, with their big shoes, into the 
house. Now the two boys came running along 
with a frightful cracking of whips, neighbor 
Seppli still behind them, for the sight of the 
whips drew him irresistibly along. But when 
their mother called the boys in, because they had 


ON THE GEMMI PASS 


23 


to help with all sorts of work, Seppli finally 
turned and went over to his house, but very 
slowly, like one who bore a great trouble. And 
Seppli was bearing one, for the whips with the 
yellow lash hovered perpetually before his eyes, 
and besides he heard Chappi’s crushing words: 

“Yes, you will have to wait!” 

Over in front of the old house-door on the spot 
where the earth had been trodden down firmly 
for a threshing-fioor, stood Father Martin striv- 
ing with a heavy axe to split big knotty logs of 
wood into small pieces for the mother to lay on 
the hearth. In a row in front of their father 
stood Martheli, Friedli, and Betheli, with big, 
eager eyes, watching his work. 

Seppli, the oldest, now came along, placed 
himself in the row, and opened his eyes wide, for 
wherever there was something to be seen he was 
always there. But soon his father pointed to the 
little pieces on the ground and said in a more 
gentle, friendly voice than one would have ex- 
pected from such a big, strong man: 


24 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“Well, SeppH, take two at a time in your arms 
and carry them in to mother in the kitchen, so she 
can cook our potatoes for us.” 

Seppli did immediately as he was told, and 
the work helped him a little to forget his trouble. 
But later, when he lay beside Friedli in their little 
bed, he could not go to sleep at once, as usual, 
the great hurt rose again before his eyes, and he 
had to sigh: 

“Oh, if I only had a whip with a yellow lash!” 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 







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CHAPTER THIRD 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 

V ERY early the following morning a great 
cracking of whips was heard, for at four 
o’clock Chappi and Georgie were already 
waiting in front of the cottage for the cows which 
were to be brought here from one place and an- 
other in order to drive them up on the mountain, 
where the big herd was. Then the two would re- 
main up there as shepherd-boys until Autumn, 
and they were so delighted about it, they couldn’t 
make enough noise; for to be up there together 
and have nothing to do the whole Summer but 
run around with their whips and with the cows, 
was to them a splendid prospect. 

When their mother had fastened on their 
knapsacks and admonished them to be good boys, 
and they had gone away with their cows, she 
went back into the house, and then began a 
sweeping and dusting in every room and corner, 
2K 


28 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


from top to bottom, so there was no end to it 
the whole day long. The sun had already gone 
down behind the fir trees when the woman once 
more wiped off the windows, one after another, 
and looked around to see if everything was in 
order. Everything was shining, the windows all 
around the house, the table with the slate top, the 
benches against the walls, and even the floor. 

The woman now saw a whole procession of 
porters, horses and riders coming up the path 
from the valley. She ran quickly up the narrow 
stairs to the attic chamber, put on a clean apron, 
and placed herself in the doorway in order to 
receive her strange guests. The procession 
stopped and Herr Feland lifted first his wife 
and Fraulein Hohlweg, then the children, from 
the horses. 

Rita had hardly touched the ground when she 
ran to and fro for joy, and did not know which 
was the most beautiful, the tiny wooden cottage 
with the little bench in front of the door, the 
green fields around with the flowers and brooks. 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 


29 


or the golden evening sunshine on the rocks and 
fir-trees. Everything was so new, so lovely! 
Ella, too, was quite filled with admiration, and 
looked around in silent astonishment. 

Then their father and mother came into the 
cottage, and a new pleasure began for Rita, 
since everything here was so different from any- 
thing she had ever seen in her life before. She 
seized Ella by the hand and ran with her into 
every corner. 

‘‘See, see, there are seats all around the room 
against the wall, and just see where you can 
climb up.” 

Whereupon Rita ran quickly up the stairs, 
leading up behind the oven, to an opening 
through which the sleeping-room was entered. 
This was a wonderful discovery! From there 
they went through an open door into another 
chamber, where two beds stood. This led into a 
little garret room and a wooden staircase on the 
other side went down again into the living- 
room. This made a wonderful circuit which 


30 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


could be made many times a day, and everything 
about the whole house, inside and out, looked so 
new and unusual and promised so much Rita 
didn’t know what she shpuld enjoy the most. 

When, at last, she lay in her big bed upstairs 
in the chamber, and Ella in the one beside her, 
and their mother had said good-night to the chil- 
dren after their evening prayer, Rita drew a deep 
sigh and said with the greatest contentment: 

“Oh, now we are on the Gemmi!” 

The most beautiful Summer days now fol- 
lowed, with golden sunshine on the meadows, 
with cool breezes blowing up in the evergreen 
woods, and the deep blue sky, spread out above 
the rocks and the white, snow-capped mountains. 

In a few days Ella and Rita had discovered 
all the lovely spots in the neighborhood, where 
they could lie down and spend the warm after- 
noon hours agreeably until evening, when a 
stroll was taken with their papa and mamma. 
But Rita was more inclined to discover lovely 
spots than to rest, and while Ella was sitting on 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 31 


the soft moss under the fir-trees or on the green 
meadow ground of the mountain side enjoying 
the thought that Fraulein Hohlweg was coming 
to read her a charming story or tell one, Rita had 
always some new plan which she proceeded to 
carry out. 

Meanwhile their mother sat in the house with 
their papa, and often had to lie down to rest, for 
her health was very frail. 

When Rita saw Fraulein Hohlweg come out 
of the house with a big basket filled with knitting 
materials on her arm all kinds of delightful places 
immediately came to her mind, where they could 
go, and before FrMein Hohlweg had seated her- 
self Rita would tell her that she must go in right 
away to her papa, for she had a great deal to 
say to him. In a twinkling she was in the house, 
had jumped up on her papa’s knee and was tell- 
ing him a multitude of plans, — ^how they could 
climb to the fir-trees high up on the rocks and 
see far around, or go deep, deep into the woods, 
until they came to the big birds that often 


32 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


screamed so frightfully. Papa would listen to 
her daring proposals with interest, but thought 
there were shorter excursions to take nearby and 
then would send her back to Ella and the Frau- 
lein. 

Rita had just come to her father’s knee again. 
To-day she had a new proposal to make and it 
was very urgent. 

“Oh, Papa, lay down your book for just a 
little minute,” she begged, “I have something to 
tell you.” 

Her papa granted her request and listened 
attentively. 

“See, Papa,” continued Rita, “yesterday and 
again to-day, a little boy has been standing in 
front of the cottage, over there, and he opens 
his eyes wide and keeps looking over here. I 
must really go over there and ask him why he 
does that and what his name is.” 

Papa agreed to this necessary errand, and Rita 
started off at once. Seppli had been standing 
over there in the same spot for an hour, gazing 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 


33 


at the neighbor’s house opposite, for since the 
strange people had come there was always some- 
thing new and remarkable to see. 

When Rita reached him she placed herself 
directly in front of him, and put her hands be- 
hind her, just as her papa did when he had some- 
thing important to talk over with her mamma. 

“What do you expect to see that you keep 
looking over there?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” replied Seppli. 

This answer didn’t seem quite satisfactory to 
Rita. 

“Did you think we had a little boy, too, and 
did you want to see how he looked?” she con- 
tinued. 

“No,” replied Seppli curtly. 

“Perhaps you have forgotten what you ex- 
pected to see,” said Rita then, in order to explain 
the matter to herself and to Seppli. 

“What is your name?” 

“Seppli.” 

“How old are you?” 


34 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


‘‘Don’t know.” 

“You must know. Come, stand beside me 
so — — ” and Rita placed herself beside Seppli, 
and looked at him over her shoulder. He was a 
little shorter, but much more stoutly built than 
Rita. 

“You are not so tall as I am,” she said. “You 
are quite small. You see I shall be seven years 
old, for I was six years old on my birthday ; that 
I know very well, because I had many presents. 
Perhaps you are six years old, because you are 
so small. 

Seppli took this information without any 
doubt, for he did not know that he had been seven 
years old some time ago, and that he had grown 
more in breadth than in height. 

“What do you do all day long, Seppli?” asked 
Rita. 

Seppli had to think about it a long time. 
Finally he said : 

“I know where there are red flowers.” 

This word fell like a burning spark into Rita’s 



“COME, LET US GO THERE QUICKLY!’’ 



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NEW ACQUAINTANCES 


35 


heart. Suddenly she saw a bush with flaming 
red roses somewhere in the woods, and everything 
in her longed for the wonderful flowers. 

“Where, where? Seppli, where are the flow- 
ers? Come, let us go there quickly!” and Rita 
had already seized Seppli’s hand and drawn him 
along. But Seppli followed rather slowly. 

“There,” he said, and pointed with his finger 
to the woods above. 

“Oh, can you go there into the big forest?” 
said Rita expectantly, pulling Seppli along with 
all her might. 

“Yes, and then still farther,” replied Seppli 
deliberately and without hurrying his steps; he 
had heavy wooden shoes on his feet. 

But Rita pulled Seppli still harder. She al- 
ready saw the path through the dark woods be- 
fore her, and behind the trees the big red flowers 
glowing and shimmering. 

“Come, Seppli, come,” she cried, and pulled 
him along still harder. 

They now came past Kaspar’s cottage. Her 


36 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


papa was standing in the doorway. He was look- 
ing to see why his little girl stayed away so long, 
for the visit granted must have come to an end 
by this time. Just as he stepped on the threshold 
the strange pair came along, Rita pulling Seppli 
after her with all her might. 

“Here, here! Not so fast, little Grasshop- 
per!” called her papa. “Come here! Where are 
you dragging your new friend?” 

“Oh, Papa,” cried Rita in great eagerness, 
“he knows where there are such beautiful red 
flowers in the forest; we are going to get them.” 

“No, no,” said papa, taking Rita by the hand, 
“that won’t do. We are going to walk with 
mamma now, and your little friend can get the 
flowers and bring them to you, then he shall have 
a nice piece of bread and butter.” 

Whereupon her papa led his child into the 
house and soon they all came out together again, 
father and mother, Fraulein Hohlweg, Ella and 
Rita, and walked along the sunlit mountain path 
down towards the valley. 


NEW ACQUAINTANCES 


37 


Seppli remained standing in the same place 
until he could see nothing more of the company ; 
then he turned around and went back to his own 
house. 




A TERRIBLE NIGHT 



1 









CHAPTER FOURTH 


A TERRIBLE NIGHT 

O N the following day, about the time when 
Frau Feland had to take her usual rest, 
Fraulein Hohlweg came with her big 
basket to a lovely, shady spot near the house, to 
spend the pleasant hour knitting and read- 
ing. Ella sat quietly on her mossy seat, and 
Rita stood in front of her, telling with great en- 
thusiasm about a bush in the woods, with flaming 
red flowers, which shone far away through the 
trees. Her eyes grew bigger and brighter every 
moment, for the more she talked about it the 
more plainly she saw it all before her, and it 
seemed as if she was already on the path in the 
midst of the woods. 

Fraulein Hohlweg put aside her big basket 
and said: 

“Sit down now, Rita, and be quiet. I have 
something lovely to read to you.” 

41 


42 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


But Rita was so full of her flowers and the 
woods, and all the things she saw before her eyes, 
that the command was forgotten. 

‘T must go right away to Papa. I have so 
much to tell him!” protested Rita, and ran to the 
house. It was the same thing that happened 
every day. Rita always thought of something 
very important to tell her papa, when she should 
have been sitting down. To-day she had some- 
thing even more urgent than usual. When a 
long time had passed and the child did not re- 
turn, Fraulein Hohlweg became uneasy and 
said: 

“Go in quickly, Ella, and call Rita, so that 
she will not wake Mamma. Papa must have 
gone already, for he said at the table that he was 
going for a long walk.” 

Ella ran in, but did not come back for so long 
that Fraulein Hohlweg went in too. It was per- 
fectly still in the house. No one was in the liv- 
ing-room, no one in the kitchen! FrMein went 
up the little staircase and softly opened the door 


A TERRIBLE NIGHT 


43 


of the children’s room. No one was there! 
Through the open door she could see into the 
parents’ room. Frau Feland was lying with 
closed eyes on her bed ; she was alone in the room. 

Fraulein Hohlweg came out again. Then Ella 
came up from below and told her she had 
searched for Rita in the whole house, in every 
corner, at last even in the yard back of the wood 
and in the little room belonging to Kaspar’s wife, 
hut Rita was nowhere to be found. 

Fraulein ran down the stairs to the shed ; there 
she got some information. Kaspar’s wife was 
standing inside spreading the straw for the goats. 
TVTien questioned about little Rita, she replied 
only that she had seen the child come into the 
house not long before. But where could Rita 
have gone afterwards? Fraulein Hohlweg and 
Ella began to search through the whole house 
once more, then all around it in every nook and 
corner. Kaspar’s wife helped willingly for she 
saw that Fraulein felt a real anxiety; but no- 
where was there any trace of the child to be seen. 


44 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Kaspar’s wife ran over to the neighbor’s house, 
perhaps they had seen Rita, but no one was 
there, the door was closed, everything still. 
Then it came to the woman’s mind that Martin 
was making hay to-day, high up on the rocks, 
and that the whole household had gone with him. 
She came back with this information. Fraulein 
Hohlweg was usually of a timid nature, and now 
she became more and more uneasy. 

“Oh, if I had only gone after the child right 
away!” she exclaimed regretfully a hundred 
times, but this was of no use. What was to be 
done? Where should they look for Rita? 
Could she, perhaps, have gone after the people 
up to the rocks, with the little boy, with whom 
she had been seen the day before? The more she 
thought about this the more likely it seemed to 
her. If only there was someone to send up there 
immediately, she thought, before her mother had 
to be told about the matter. 

The obliging woman offered to do this and to 
came back again as soon as possible, but it was a 


A TERRIBLE NIGHT 


45 


long and toilsome way; it would take more time 
than one would think from looking up there. 

Fraulein Hohlweg promised her a handsome 
reward if she would only go and prevent Frau 
Feland from being frightened, and she was very 
hopeful that she would surely bring Rita back 
home with her. But the way was farther than 
Fraulein had thought, and long before the mes- 
senger could return Frau Feland came down 
from her room and wished to take a walk with 
the children. Then everything had to be told her. 

At the first great shock the mother wanted to 
go out herself at once, to look for the child and 
see where she could be, but Fraulein was so sure 
that Rita must have run off with the little boy 
that Frau Feland calmed herself and decided to 
wait for the return of Kaspar’s wife. She really 
didn’t have a peaceful moment. She ran from 
one window to the other then back to the door, 
and then around the house. The time seemed 
so long to her, — so long! 

At last, after two weary hours, the woman 


46 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


came back, panting and glowing from the heat, 
but — she came alone, without Rita. Martin had 
gone up to the rocks, with his whole family early 
in the morning, to make hay, and had remained 
there. No one had seen the child since the day 
before. Moreover, along the way the woman had 
asked for her, here and there, but no trace of her 
was to be found. 

Then the mother broke out into loud lament. 

‘‘Oh, if only my husband were here!” she cried. 
“Where shall we find people to hunt for the 
child? What must we do? Kind woman, what 
can we do?” 

The woman offered to run around in the huts 
and summon the people to start out to search 
before it should be dark; they would have to go 
up along by the forest-brook, and into the forest. 

“If only they hadn’t all gone up to make hay,” 
she complained, but she started off immediately. 
Ella, who now realized what might have hap- 
pened to Rita, began to weep bitterly. 

“Oh, Mamma, if Rita has fallen into the 


A TERRIBLE NIGHT 


47 


brook, which roars so frightfully, or if she went 
into the woods and can’t find her wayl” she 
sobbed. “Oh, let us go right into the woods. She 
will surely be so frightened!” 

These were also the mother’s thoughts. She 
took Ella by the hand and hurried up to the 
woods, faster than she was able to go at ordinary 
times. Fraulein Hohlweg ran behind her, for 
she hardly knew what she was doing she was so 
anxious. 

One hour after another passed. Women and 
children ran, searching everywhere, but no trace 
of Rita was discovered. Night came on. 

Frau Feland, all the while holding fast to 
Ella’s hand, had been running in every direction 
through thickets and underbrush, until now she 
could run no more. She returned with Ella to 
the house and fell, completely exhausted. Frau- 
lein Hohlweg, who had followed in her footsteps, 
stood breathless, looking as if she too were near 
collapsing. Ella sat still, weeping, beside her 
mother. 


48 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Then Herr Feland came back. When he 
learned in a few words from his wife what had 
happened, he first of all carried her up to her 
sleeping-room and told her to remain perfectly 
quiet, that he would do everything to find the 
child. Fraulein Hohlweg and Ella, he said, must 
go to bed. As soon as he had found Rita he 
would let them know. 

Then Herr Feland went over to Martin’s cot- 
tage, for his first thought, too, was that Rita had 
gone away with her new friend of the day before. 
Martin was just coming out of the door. He 
had already heard that a child was lost and was 
just coming to try to help. To Herr Feland’s 
questions he replied how, since early in the morn- 
ing, he had been away with his wife and children, 
and that the little girl had not been seen at all by 
them. 

Herr Feland now thought Rita must have 
gone away alone, either as she had proposed to 
him, somewhere up on the rocks, or deep into the 
forest. So he ordered Martin immediately 


A TERRIBLE NIGHT 


49 


to get together all the men in the neighborhood, 
provide them with good lanterns, and have some 
of them climb up to the high cliffs and hunt 
around everywhere and others go through the 
woods in every direction. These last Herr Fe- 
land himself would join, and he was determined 
to continue the search until the child was found. 

So the men started off into the night, and Frau 
Feland heard one hour after another strike on the 
old wall-clock downstairs, but the night passed 
away more slowly, more lingeringly than any 
she had watched through in all her life. She 
did not close her eyes. At every distant sound 
that fell on her ear she jumped up and said to 
herself : 

“Now they are coming and bringing the child! 
But will she be alive or dead?” 

But they did not come. From time to time 
Ella would come tip-toeing in softly. She 
wanted to see if her mother was asleep, for 
through her anxiety she could find no rest either. 
When she found that her mother also was awake, 
she would ask again and again: 


50 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“Oh, Mamma, shall we not pray once more 
that the dear Lord will take care of Rita and 
bring her home again soon?” 

Her mother assented willingly each time, and 
then Ella would kneel down beside her bed and 
pray and beseech the dear Lord to protect Rita 
from all harm and to show her papa the way to 
her. Then Ella would go back quietly to her 
room. 

The night passed. The beaming sun was al- 
ready rising behind the mountains and lighted up 
the woods and meadows, as if it had great joy to 
announce. 

Frau Feland sank back exhausted on her pil- 
low. Finally weariness overcame trouble and 
care. A quiet slumber snatched the anxious 
mother away for a short time from torturing 
suspense and waiting. 


J 


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CHAPTER FIFTH 


THE NEXT MORNING 

P ALE and worried, Herr Feland came 
through the golden morning light back to 
his house, and his clothes showed that he 
had pressed through many thorns and prickly 
briers. Frau Feland had immediately heard his 
footsteps and full of anguish called: 

“Are you bringing the child?” 

He stepped nearer, sat down by the bed, laid 
his head in his hands and said, almost inaudibly: 

“I come alone. I can no longer hope, no 
longer think. In what condition shall we find 
the child after the long night, wholly or half 
dead?” 

“Oh, no. Papa,” sobbed Ella, who had come in 
softly, “the dear Lord has surely taken care of 
our Rita, for Mamma and I have prayed to him 
so many times in the night about it.” 

Her father rose. “We have gone through the 
53 


54 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


forest in every direction all night long; the child 
cannot be there. Now we will go down through 
the ravine by the forest-brook.” 

Her father spoke these words in a trembling 
voice. The supposition that the child had fallen 
into the wild forest-brook became more and 
more certain to him. Herr Feland had arranged 
for a good breakfast to be prepared for the men 
at Martin’s house, and then they were all to help 
further in the search. Now it was plain that they 
would be better able to climb down into the 
ravines and gorges. 

When Herr Feland entered Martin’s house 
the men were still sitting at the table and talking 
excitedly about what to do next. Seppli was 
standing by his father staring with open eyes 
and mouth. 

Herr Feland sat down beside Martin. A 
silence ensued, for they all saw what great an- 
guish and trouble were in his heart. Suddenly 
Seppli said bluntly: 

‘T know where she is.” 


THE NEXT MORNING 


55 


‘‘Don’t talk such nonsense, Seppli,” said his 
father reprovingly in his gentle way, “you were 
up in the hay-field when she was lost; you can’t 
know anything about it.” 

Herr Feland asked for ropes and other neces- 
sary things, and while these were being made 
ready Seppli said half-aloud but quite distinctly: 

“But I really know where she is.” 

Herr Feland rose, seized him by the hand, and 
said kindly: 

“Little boy, look at me, and tell me truly, do 
you know anything about the child?” 

“Yes,” was the short answer. 

“Then speak out, little boy! Have you seen 
the child? Where has she gone?” asked Herr 
Feland with increasing excitement. 

“I will show you,” replied Seppli, and went 
to the door. They all rose. They all looked at 
one another. No one knew whether to take the 
suggestion seriously or as foolish. 

But Herr Feland followed the boy without 
any hesitation. 


56 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“Seppli, Seppli,” said Father Martin reprov- 
ingly, ‘T really think you are making a promise 
you can’t keep.” 

But Seppli kept trotting along, Herr Feland 
following, and the men coming reluctantly after. 

When the little fellow aimed for the forest 
they stood still, and one of them said: 

‘Tt is utterly useless to follow the boy in there, 
for we have searched through every place and 
found nothing. We will not go.” 

Martin informed Herr Feland that he himself 
did not have any confidence in the boy. But 
Seppli kept marching along, and Herr Feland 
and Martin decided to follow. 

Seppli walked resolutely on farther into the 
woods. Suddenly he turned to the left toward 
the old fir-trees, where they soon saw something 
red gleaming through. Seppli steered straight 
ahead, through the midst of briers and prickly 
thistles, to a light spot, where there were many 
large bushes together, all covered with red flow- 
ers. Here he stood still and looked around a 


THE NEXT MORNING 


57 


little puzzled. He had evidently expected to find 
Rita there. Then he went with determination on 
his way. The blossoming bushes became fewer, 
but larger and larger. Seppli stood still by each 
one for a moment and looked around, then he 
would go on, always to the left. 

“No, Seppli, don’t go any farther,” cried his 
father. “We are coming to the big wall of rock.” 

But at the same moment there was a shining 
like fire through the trees. The sun glowed on 
a bush completely covered with the red flowers. 
Seppli ran up to it quickly, but he was close to 
the wall of rock, which extended, rugged and 
steep, down to the deep precipice below. Seppli 
looked around and across the flowers down over 
the rocks. Then he turned around. Herr Fel- 
and stood hopeless behind him. The path came 
to an end, and the child was not found 1 

Martin seized the boy by the hand and tried 
to draw him back from the dangerous spot, when 
Seppli said in his dry way: 

“She is lying down there below.” 


58 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Herr Feland rushed forward and bent over 
the precipice — his face grew deathly pale. He 
stepped back and had to cling to the nearest 
tree, his knees were shaking so. He beckoned 
to Martin, who was still holding Seppli fast by 
the hand. Then he stepped to the edge and 
looked down into the depths. Here and there a 
few bushes hung over the precipice. In one 
place, horribly low down, the rock had one small 
pro j ection, like a narrow shelf. Here lay, nestled 
on the rock, a motionless little being, with her 
face pressed against the stone. 

“God in Heaven, it is true, there she lies!” 
said Martin shuddering, ‘‘but whether living 


He did not finish the sentence. One look at 
Herr Feland closed his lips. He looked as if he 
were going to drop dead." But he recovered 
himself. 

“Martin,” he said faintly, “no time is to be 
lost. If the child moves she will be over the 
precipice. Who will climb down? Who will get 
her?” 


THE NEXT MORNING 


59 


The other men now came along: hopeless, they 
had followed their little guide through curiosity. 
They too now looked, one after another, down 
the wall of rock. 

“Listen, you men,” said Herr Feland in a 
trembling voice, “there is not a moment to lose. 
Who will do it? Who will help? Who dares 
to go?” 

The men looked at one another, but all re- 
mained silent. One of them stepped to the edge, 
looked down, then turned around, shrugged his 
shoulders, and went away. 

“If we were only sure that she is still alive,” 
said another. “But a man risks his life and per- 
haps only to bring back a dead child.” 

“Who knows that she is not alive?” cried Herr 
Feland, almost beside himself, “and if she stirs 
she is lost beyond recovery! Oh, is it not pos- 
sible?” 

“She would have gone down below long be- 
fore this if she was still alive. No one could 
lie as still as that,” said another. “And, sir, if 


60 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


one should roll down there, the best reward would 
be of no use.” 

Shrugging their shoulders, one after another 
stepped back. Herr Feland looked around him 
in despair. There was no prospect of help. 

‘T will do it myself,” he exclaimed, beside Tiim- 
self; ‘‘only tell me how?” 

Martin now stepped up to him. 

“No, sir,” he said quietly, “that will not do. 
Then both would be lost, that is sure. Rut I will 
do it, with God’s help. I, too, have such little 
ones, and I know how hard it must be for Herr 
Feland.” 

Even before he spoke he had fastened the big 
rope around the trunk of the old fir-tree, for he 
had decided to bring up the child to her father, 
whether she was dead or alive. Then he took 
off his cap, prayed softly, seized firm hold of the 
rope, and slid down the rock. 

He reached the little shelf in the rock. With 
one hand he held to the rope with all his 
strength, with liis bare feet he tried to cling fast 


THE NEXT MORNING 


61 


to the rock, in order to be able to seize the child 
with his other hand and lift her up. Gently, 
quietly, he drew near, for if the child was alive 
and should be startled by him — just a quick 
movement — even at the last moment she would 
be lost. 

She lay motionless there. Martin bent over 
the child and laid his broad, strong hand on her. 
At the same moment she was about to turn 
around quickly and would have fallen down 
beyond recovery, but Martin’s hand lay firmly 
on her. She could turn her head. A pair of 
big, wondering eyes looked up at the man. 

‘‘God be praised and thanked!” said Martin, 
taking a deep breath. “Say the same, little one, 
if you can still speak 1” 

“Yes, I can still speak! God be praised and 
thanked!” said the child, in a quite clear voice. 

Martin looked in greatest amazement at the 
child, who was wholly unharmed. 

“You must be strangely dear to our Lord, for 
he has worked a miracle for you. You must never 


62 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


forget it all your life long, little one,” he said 
thoughtfully. Then he lifted the child with his 
strong right hand up to himself. 

“There, now you must put both your arms 
around my neck, very tight, as if I were your 
dear papa, for you see, I cannot hold you. I 
have enough to do, with both my hands, to climb 
up.” 

“Yes, yes, I will hold fast,” said Rita assur- 
ingly and clasping Martin so firmly that he could 
hardly breathe. But how glad he was! 

He now began to climb up the rock. It was 
no easy task. The blood ran down from his 
hands and feet. Occasionally he had to rest for 
a moment. Above stood Herr Feland and the 
men holding their breath and watching the man 
sway above the precipice. Would his endurance 
hold out? Would he come up? Or would he 
lose his strength? Would he slip and fall with 
the child into the dark abyss? 

Nearer and nearer they came — now only the 
last frightful steep piece of rock — there— — • 


THE NEXT MORNING 


63 


“God be thanked!” cried Martin, breathless, 
when he took the last step over the edge. He 
took the child from his neck and laid her in her 
trembling father’s arms. 

Herr Feland had to sit down. He held his 
child and looked at her, speechless, as if he could 
not realize his good fortune. 

“Oh, Papa, I am so glad,” said Rita, throw- 
ing both arms around his neck affectionately. 
“I knew you would surely come to get me in the 
morning.” 

Martin stepped aside, with folded hands; he 
was gazing at the father and his child, and for 
joy the tears fell down over his sun-burned 
cheeks. Seppli had pressed close to him and 
clung to him fast, for he had realized that his 
father had been in great danger. 

Then Herr Feland, with his child in his arms, 
stepped up to Martin. He held out his hand to 
the rescuer. 

“You know very well, Martin, that I am now 
doing what I should have done before anything 


64 LITTLE MISS GKASSHOPPER 


else,’^ he said in a trembling voice. “I thank 
you, as only one can thank another, to whom a 
life has been given back. I shall never forget 
that you risked your life to save my child.” 

The two men shook hands, and Martin said 
sincerely : 

‘Tt is a great reward to me that I was able 
to bring back your little girl to you unharmed.” 

‘T will see you again to-day. Now we must 
go to the mother,” said Herr Feland, and, hold- 
ing his little girl fast in his arms, he started on 
the way back. Martin, holding Seppli by the 
hand, and the others followed. 

As they were going along in this way through 
the woods, Martin said to his little boy : 

“Now tell me, Seppli, how you knew that the 
little girl had come just here?” 

“Because she wanted to go to the red flowers,” 
replied Seppli. 

“But how did you know then that she could be 
right there by the rock?” 

“Because she was not by the first bush, so she 


THE NEXT MORNING 


65 


must have gone farther, because the flowers keep 
getting more and more beautiful, and the most 
beautiful bush of all is the last near the rock. 
But I didn’t know that she had fallen off,” ex- 
plained Seppli. 

Herr Feland now reached his house. He went 
in and opened the door of the sleeping-room. 
Ella was still sitting by the bed and holding her 
mother’s hand fast. Quite exhausted, she was 
leaning her head on the pillow and her eyes were 
closed. Herr Feland stepped up to her 
mother and placed Rita in the middle of her 
bed. 

“Good-morning, Mamma! Did you sleep 
well?” said Rita quite gayly, as she did every 
morning when she came to kiss her mother. Her 
mother opened her eyes and stared at her child. 
Then she suddenly seized her in her arms, pressed 
her with all her might to her breast, and tears of 
unspeakable joy streamed from her eyes. She 
couldn’t speak a word, could only thank the dear 
Lord again and again in her heart. 


66 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Ella held her little sister’s hand fast and kept 
saying over and over: 

“Are you back again, Rita? Where were you 
all night long alone? 

Little by little her father told how and where 
he had found Rita and how Martin risked his life 
to save the child. The mother shuddered at the 
description. She pressed the child again close to 
her when she realized the danger she had been in 
the whole night long. 

“Oh, weren’t you frightened almost to death?” 
asked Ella, who from sympathy was still strug- 
gling with her tears. 

“Oh no, I was not frightened,” asserted Rita 
gayly. “I will tell you now how it happened. 
At first I was going in to ask Papa if I might 
go with Seppli for the red fiowers, but he was 
away. So I thought he would surely allow me, 
because I had wanted so much to go the day 
before, and then did not dare, so I went for Sep- 
pli, but he was away too. Then I thought I 
would find the red fiowers alone, for Seppli had 
told me the way to go there. 



“MARTIN BENT OVER THE CHILD AND LAID HIS BROAD, 
STRONG HAND ON HER.” 



• • ^ 


THE NEXT MORNING 


67 


“Then I went up into the woods and hunted a 
long, long time without finding them. But sud- 
denly I saw something red shining behind the 
trees and I ran toward it. At first there were 
only a few flowers and not very bright red ones, 
but Seppli had said you had to go farther and 
farther into the woods. So I went still farther, 
and there were more and more flowers, and at 
last I came to a big, big bush with so many beau- 
tiful red flowers. They shone so wonderfully 
and I wanted them all, every one, and then sud- 
denly I fell down and rested on a stone, but it 
was a small stone and so I pushed back against 
the rock and thought I would just lie still and 
Papa would soon come and get me. But then I 
was tired — and it was already getting rather 
dark — and I thought, I must really go to sleep, 
and in the morning Papa would come and get 
me. Then I thought I must say my prayer, so 
that the dear Lord would send his little angels to 
take care of me while I slept, and I prayed: 


68 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“Oh, gentle Jesus, hear me! 

On bright wings hover near me. 

And keep me from all harm! 

Thru danger, pain and sorrow 
I’ll sleep until the morrow. 

Protected by thine arm. 

“Then I slept very well, until a man came, and 
I knew right away that Papa had sent him.” 

Her mother trembled as she followed the story. 
Her father could not conceal his delight at it. 

“Now my little Grasshopper doesn’t go an- 
other step alone,” he said in as severe a tone as 
in his delight he could find it in his heart to use. 

The mother had not yet heard who had finally 
taken the searching party to the right spot, and 
she wanted to know all about it. Then the 
father thought of Seppli and that he was really 
the first one to trace Rita. 

“We must especially reward the brave boy,” he 
said, and Rita, who grasped this idea with en- 
thusiasm immediately scrambled down from the 


THE NEXT MORNING 


69 


bed, in order to carry out the plan at once. 

But what should the reward for Seppli be? 
What could she take to him right away? 

“He shall for once have his greatest wish,” said 
her father. “We will see what will most delight 
his heart.” 

“Can I go to him right away?” asked Rita 
eagerly. 

Her papa wished to go with her, to speak with 
Father Martin at once, and also to recompense 
the other men. Rita jumped all around the 
room for joy. She was full of great gratitude to 
Seppli. 

“But, Papa, supposing he should wish for a 
menagerie, with the biggest animals there are?” 
she asked. 

“Then he shall have it,” was the decided an- 
swer. 

“But, Papa,” she asked again, “if he should 
wish for a Turkish costume and a curved saber 
besides, such as Cousin Karl has?” 

“He shall have that too!” was the answer. 


70 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


“But, Papa,” she went on, “if he should want 
a whole big fortress and twelve boxes full of 
soldiers, as Karl has?” 

“He shall have them!” replied her father 
again. 

Then Rita rushed out to Seppli, who was 
standing in front of the door. 

“Come, Seppli,” she cried, “now you can have 
the very best wish you can think of!” 

Seppli looked at Rita with wrinkled brow. It 
seemed as if her words had awakened something 
that lay heavy on his heart. Finally he said, 
quite cast down: 

“It’s no use.” 

“Yes, really, it is, too,” replied Rita, “because 
you found me you can ask for anything you 
would like, and you will have it. Papa said so. 
Now think right away about it and then tell what 
it is.” 

Gradually Seppli seemed to understand the 
matter. He looked at Rita once more to prove 
whether she was really in earnest or not, then he 
took a deep breath and said ; 


THE NEXT MORNING 


71 


‘‘A whip with a yellow lash.” 

“No, Seppli, that is nothing at all,” replied 
Rita quite vexed. “You mustn’t wish for any- 
thing like that. Think once more what is the 
most beautiful thing of all and wish for that.” 

Seppli thought obediently, took another deep 
breath, and said: 

“A whip with a yellow lash.” 

Herr Feland then came with the men out of 
the house. The men went away with many ex- 
pressions of gratitude, but Martin remained 
standing in the doorway. 

“I have not yet given you any reward, Mar- 
tin,” said Herr Feland. “To you above all the 
rest I must prove my gratitude in a way to give 
you a real joy. Tell me, have you some special 
desire?” 

Martin turned his cap aroimd for a while in 
his hands, then said hesitatingly: 

“I have had a great desire for a long time, but 
I dare not tell you what it is ; no, no, it should not 
have come into my mind.” 


72 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


‘‘Speak it out fully/' said Herr Feland en- 
couragingly, “perhaps I can help you.” 

“I have always thought,” continued Martin, 
hesitatingly, “if I could only get on as well as my 
neighbor over there, I would venture to think of 
buying a cow. I have quite a good deal of hay 
and then could take care of my family without 
any anxiety.” 

“That is good, Martin,” said Herr Feland, 
“we shall see each other again.” Then he took 
Rita by the hand and started with her on the way 
back. 

“And what did your friend Seppli wish for?” 
he asked. 

“Oh, he is stupid,” exclaimed Rita. “He only 
wants a whip with a yellow lash ! That is nothing 
at all.” 

“Surely that is something,” asserted her papa. 
“You see, every child has his own pleasures: to 
Seppli such a whip would give exactly as much 
pleasure as the most beautiful doll-house would 
to you.” 


THE NEXT MORNING 


73 


At this explanation Rita seemed contented and 
could hardly wait for the wishes to come true. 

On the following day Herr Feland had to 
make a journey down into the valley. Rita 
knew very well why, and hopped with delight 
all the morning long. Her papa did not go, 
without impressing it upon his little “grasshop- 
per” that she must not take a step alone away 
from the house, and Fraulein Hohlweg received 
strict instructions. But she had endured such 
anguish that terrible night that the warnings 
were unnecessary. On the contrary she had de- 
termined from now on not to take her eyes off 
from Rita, no matter how hard it might be. 

Two days later, when Martin had just sat 
down with his family at the table to their meal of 
steaming potatoes, they heard a loud mooing in 
front of the bouse — then again, and then a third 
time! 

“Kaspar’s cow must have run away,” said 
Martin, getting up to go and catch her. Seppli 
had to go too ! He ran hurriedly after his father. 


74 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


Martheli, Friedli and Bertheli followed, and be- 
hind them their mother, in order to fetch them all 
back again. 

Outside Father Martin was standing in mo- 
tionless astonishment, and all the others beside 
him opened their eyes wide. The mother, who 
had just come along, clapped her hands and 
couldn’t speak a word from amazement. Fas- 
tened near the house stood a glossy brown cow, 
so big and splendid, such as was only seen occa- 
sionally among the rich peasants. To one of her 
horns was fastened a big whip, which had a 
strong, white, leather mesh with a thick, silk lash 
which shimmered in the sun like gold ! 

A paper was bound around the whip-handle 
and on this was written in large letters: “For 
Seppli.” 

Martin took down the whip and gave it to the 
boy. 

“It is yours,” he said. 

Seppli held the whip in his hand. The most 
beautiful and the most wonderful thing he could 


THE NEXT MORNING 


75 


think of was his very own! And, besides, there 
was the cow, which could be driven up on the 
mountain, with the whip to crack, like Georgie’s 
and Chappi’s 1 

Seppli, with beaming eyes, seized his whip, 
hugged it and held it fast, as if to say: 

“No power on earth can take it from me!” 

Martin and his wife couldn’t look enough at 
the splendid animal. That it was to belong to 
them appeared to them like a miracle. 

Finally Martin said: 

“She moos because she wants to give her milk. 
Seppli, bring the pail; to-day we will enjoy our- 
selves.” 

Two large pails were filled with foaming, fresh 
milk and placed with the potatoes on the table; 
then all accompanied the brown cow in a trium- 
phant procession to the shed. 

Over in front of the neighboring cottage Herr 
Feland was standing with his children. They 
wanted to see how the brown cow was received, 
and Rita had, above all, to know what impres- 


76 LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER 


sion the whip would make, which she herself had 
marked with the big letters: “For Seppli.” 

When Frau Feland had recovered from the 
great excitement the whole family went up to the 
wall of rock in order to give praise and thanks 
from their full hearts once more to the dear Lord, 
on the very spot where he had so evidently spread 
his protecting hand over their child. 


THE “DOROTHY BROOKE’’ BOOKS 

By FRANCES CAMPBELL SPARHAWK 


DOROTHY BROOKE’S SCHOOL DAYS 

“Much of the charm that has made Miss Alcott’s stories dear 
to the hearts of two or three generations of girls is in a beautiful 
new story by Miss Sparhawk. Girls, and girls’ mothers, will be 
equally glad to get hold of ‘Dorothy Brooke’s School Days.’ 
. . . The story is perhaps the best girls’ story in a decade.’’ 

— San Francisco Globe. 


DOROTHY BROOKE’S VACATION 

“A good school-girls’ book is always in demand, is always 
needed. School-girls are always with us. Most of them will read 
stories, and whoever provides parents, teachers, and librarians 
with a wholesome story that every girl will delight to read renders 
the home and school a noble service. . , . . ‘Dorothy Brooke’s 
Vacation’ is all that girls, teachers, and mothers can ask.’’ 

— Dr, A. E. IV ins hip. 


DOROTHY BROOKE’S EXPERIMENTS 

“Neither an old-fashioned account of intellectual development 
nor an up-to-date sketch of trifling contests and crushes. It is 
a very strong unfolding of situations that any college girl must 
meet in life, not simply in term time, but in vacation.’’ 

— Hartford Post. 


DOROTHY BROOKE AT RIDGEMORE 

“A book about college life that girls will be glad to read and 
re-read, and it is well worth it .’’ — Albany Evening Journal. 


DOROTHY BROOKE ACROSS THE SEA 

The adventures of the heroine and various old friends, and some 
•new ones, during a trip abroad. This last book, with its great 
variety of incident, its entirely fresh scenes, and its host of inter- 
•esting characters, will perhaps prove most attractive of all the 
volumes in this widely known series. 


Eacli volume, cloth, 8vo, 
Illustrations by Frank T. Merrill 


THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 


Dorothy Brooke^s School Days 

BY 

FRANCES CAMPBELL SPARHAWK 
Cloth. 8vo. Illustrations by Frank T. Merrill 


“ A spirited, wholesome story, which every wide-awake girl will enjoy. The 
heroine, Dorothy, is always honest and true and interesting, though carrying out 
her impulsive plans in a novel and sometimes headstrong way.” 

— Elizabeth Merritt Gosse in Boston Daily Advertiser. 

“ I don’t suppose the ‘ school girl ’ ever dies out of the heart, however many 
years we may live beyond that strenuous period. As to the bird part of the 
story, I was, of course, particularly interested, and I congratulate Miss Sparhawk 
on a very clever plot and also on what so very few achieve, a truthful account 
of the habits of the several birds mentioned.” — Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller. 

“ Dorothy Brooke is a lovable school girl with a heart large enough to take in 
not only her schoolmates, but also the birds. . . . The story is one that should 
be in every school library.” — Mr. William Dutcher (President National 
Audubon Society) in Bird Lore. 

“ Much of the charm that has made Miss Alcott’s stories dear to the hearts 
of two or three generations of girls is in a beautiful new story by Miss Sparhawk. 
Girls, and girls’ mothers, will be equally glad to get hold of ‘ Dorothy Brooke’s 
School Days.’ . . . The story is perhaps the best girls’ story in a decade.” — 
San Francisco Globe 

“ A graphic picture of school girl life. The characters are well drawn and con- 
sistent. Dorothy is charming; so also are Lulu and Pell-Mell. I like the book 
very much. Its moral influence is of the best.” — William A. Mowry, LL'.D. 

“I’ve read all the author cared to tell about Dorothy, and was sorry there 
was no more of it. Indeed, I begin to think there is more of it.” 

— Aaron Martin Crane. 

“A most beautiful story, a book one would like to place in the hands of 
every girl in the land.” — Nixon Waterman. 

“ The book is an inspiring one, showing what one girl can accomplish by tact, 
large-heartedness and good nature.” — Somerville (^Mass.) Journal. 

“ Full of the fun, frolic and tragedies of school days.” — Los Angeles Times. 


THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 


WEW yoaiv 


Dorothy Brooke’s Vacation 

BY 

FRANCES CAMPBELL SPARHAWK 
Cloth. 8vo. Illustrations by Frank T. Merrill 


The story is full of animation and incident and is well told. Certainly, 
Dorothy could not complain when she went back to school in September that 
she had not enjoyed a very lively and interesting vacation. A complete novel 
could hardly have received more care in plot and development. It should prove 
a favorite with young girl readers,” — Brooklyn Eagle. 

“ The author, already well known by ‘ Dorothy Brooke’s School Days ’ and 
her ‘ Life of Lincoln for Boys,’ knows how to tell a story, and that is the secret 
of winning the boy and girl readers. I don’t know why this is called a girls’ 
book exclusively. It seems to me the boys would enjoy it as thoroughly as the 
girls. That may be why the girls like Miss Sparhawk’s books,” — The Pilot. 

“ ‘ Dorothy Brooke’s Vacation ’ has the same charm as its predecessor 
(‘ Dorothy Brooke’s School Days ’) had. It is a great gift to be able to write 
convincingly for young people, and Miss Sparhawk is blessed with that gift. 
Dorothy is just the sort of girl that ought to have a whole series of books 
written about her. I hope she will write them.” — Miss Helen M. Winslow. 

“ A good school-girls’ book is always in demand, is always needed. School- 
girls are always with us. Most of them will read stories, and whoever provides 
parents, teachers and librarians with a wholesome story that every girl will 
delight to read renders the home and school a noble service, . . . and 
Frances Campbell Sparhawk’s ‘Dorothy Brooke’s Vacation’ is all that girls, 
teachers, and mothers can ask.” — D r. A. E. Winship. 

“ ‘ Dorothy Brooke’s School Days ’ has a most engaging rival in its sequel, 
‘ Dorothy Brooke’s Vacation,’ a response to the demand of not only the young 
folks but the ‘ grown-ups,’ who are equally interested in the doings of the real- 
istic, lovable, up-to-date ‘ little comrade of mother.’ ” — Newton Graphic. 

" The heroine is a fine type. The book is replete with incident, and the story 
related is interesting and entertaining.” — Chicago Post. 

“ A bright, breezy piecP of writing, destined to please many young ladies of 
sixteen or thereabouts. It is sure to appeal to every girl.” 

— San Francisco Chronicle. 


THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 


MEW YORK 










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